X-Awards
I read with interest the travails of runner Chris Moe, who was hit twice by cars and threatened with legal action, all during a single run on Asheville roads [“Asheville drivers should share the road with runners,” Feb. 11, Xpress]. I’m a runner myself, and in 25 years of running, much of it on roads, […]
Letter writer: ‘Medical Intuitives’ article needed a skeptical eye
Your paper has in recent months published a series of frankly unbelievable statements about what various people can do with various supernatural abilities — all of them presented by the reporters as simple facts, without even a hint of journalistic skepticism. I have cringed, rolled my eyes and said nothing. But the absurdity reached a […]
Letter writer: Freaking out about vaccines? Really?
As you may know, Asheville is among the areas with the highest rates of unvaccinated children in the country. I’m not anti-vaccine, really I’m not. That said, I swear this whole controversy around vaccines feels to me like the secular liberal equivalent of homosexuality for conservative Christians. Of all the things the Bible in general […]
Letter writer: Thousands of small solutions exist for Asheville’s white-supremacy problem
Reading Jerry Sternberg‘s opinion piece, “Gospel According to Jerry: Confessions of a Recovering Racist” [Feb. 11, Xpress], inspired a lot of feelings in me: Irritation, disgust and confusion were the big ones, but there was also a sense of relief. Here is someone with white-skin privilege talking about racism in Asheville, acknowledging that he is a recovering racist and asking about solutions.
Let it slide
Just because certain bureaucratic state regulations put a damper on a potentially fun warm weather event does not mean local residents can’t enjoy the slipping and sliding around the city right now in the dead of winter!
Letter writer: Big Ivy’s forests must be protected
When we purchased our Barnardsville-area property years ago, we chose it primarily because it backed up to national forest lands. We felt this ensured that the land would be protected for our family and for future generations. Why are we now considering creating roads to slice through the forest so that logging trucks can cut […]
Stretching the dollar: State changes to childcare subsidy eligibility disadvantage families
Local nonprofit Children First/CIS created a video highlighting changes to the child care subsidy program, and how it has affected one working mother, Kim Akbar, who spoke at the YWCA as part of Just Economics VOICES for Economic Justice.
Commentary: Highest and best use? Or absolutely the worst use?
Editor’s note: The issues of density, zoning, Smart Growth and quality of life in the city of Asheville continue to generate interest and concern among Mountain Xpress readers. Recent letters to the editor on the topics have generated multiple comments and new letters, along with a lively thread on the Facebook group Asheville Politics, which […]
Rental guidance suggested
Vacancy rates for apartments in this area were recently surveyed by a consultant as being a percentage that is even less than the amount of butterfat content in reduced fat milk.
Local EDC responds to report, criticism of JDIG incentives program
The following response is from Ben Teague, executive director of the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County, who has completed more than $1 billion in economic development projects in Western North Carolina over the past six years, and Andrew Tate, President & CEO of the Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development. They’re responding to the NC Justice […]
Letter writer: Asheville offers multiple spiritual (and nonspiritual) paths
I enjoyed the cover article for a December issue (posted online on Dec. 24) entitled “Churches in the fall: local churches get back to their roots in a rapidly changing millennial culture” [Dec. 25, Xpress]. Howard Hanger, founder of Jubilee! definitely helps with the hanging chads left behind by more conservative expressions of orthodoxy and orthopraxy […]
Letter writer: Committed community leaders needed for Asheville City Schools
What could be more important than nurturing the next generation? Public education is an essential part of our democracy, and a local board of education has one of the most important responsibilities — helping steer the educational journeys of the students in our community. Our Board of Education’s decisions affect the lives of students, parents, […]
Letter writer: Leave your big-city driving habits at home
So, my beautiful city has expanded and improved in marvelous ways since my childhood days in the ’70 and ’80s. And some negative things have come along with it. As a native, here’s my issue with you moving here. You bring your nasty, aggressive, mean, “all about me” big-city driving habits with you. Let me preface the rest of […]
Find your gift, then give it away
“For it is in giving that we receive.” —~ Francis of Assisi There sometimes seems to be a paradox that lies between the idea of “altruist” and “artist.” This is not to insinuate in any way that artists are self-indulgent — but as a practicing artist, I do often find myself grappling with the fact that […]
Letter writer: Zoning laws could ensure future buildings complement natural beauty
I recently returned from a visit to Scottsdale, Ariz. All of the houses and businesses there are set back 200 feet from the roads. The exterior of all the buildings match the sand of the desert floor and none of them are more then two stories high. Billboards are nonexistent As a result, when you […]
Oh, dear! Asheville celebrates Valentine’s on Twitter
Yesterday, @ashevillehaikus tweeted: Please use the hashtag #avlvalentine or put in @ashevillehaikus so I can RT everything to compile this years list. #avl #asheville Not long after that, hearty, local-flavored yearnings began flowing. And they still are. To follow the stream, go here. For just a taste of the spirit, here are a few highlights: […]
Mega-whats
Letter writer: Asheville needs looping technology to help those with hearing loss
[Xpress has] been carrying articles related to wellness, emphasizing the whole person. But if you are going to deal with the health of the whole person, you need to consider hearing loss and the limited availability of means for dealing with it. It can lead to gross isolation, which can be a life and death […]
Letter writer: Will Asheville make Oregon’s density mistakes?
In the late ’70s, Oregon embarked on a strategy to limit urban sprawl and became the first state to adopt an aggressive “Smart Growth” methodology of zoning. Its goals were exemplary but failed to anticipate that the most “efficient” way to populate the cities was directly opposed to the way that people actually wanted to […]
Letter writer: Asheville drivers should share the road with runners
Asheville, N.C., Voted Worst Place to be a Runner! Well, not exactly the worst place to be a runner by any means. To be fair, Asheville is probably one of the greatest cities in the world to be a trail runner. I happen to be training for a road race, though, and that requires pounding […]
The gospel according to Jerry: Confessions of a recovering racist
I received an email article from a couple of my right-wing friends who are constantly trying to validate their extreme positions especially on racial issues and hatred of President Obama. The author of the article “Socially Confused Lawyer” is a public defender in a Southern metropolitan are who admits he is a Liberal and […]